Snow Songs Planning on a Quiet and Intimate Show at Lost Leaf

The Lost Leaf has always been an intimate setting. But quiet? Not so much.

So when local quartet Snow Songs takes the stage this weekend for their acoustic set, it should be a nice change of pace for one of our favorite watering holes.

Snow Songs, along with Jess Willamson and Tucson's Tracy Shedd and Young Mothers, are playing a free show on Saturday, June 16. Bassist Lindsay Cates gets us caught up with the band's happenings and talks about the importance of sharing the stage with Tucson bands.

Up on the Sun: Can you get us up to speed with Snow Songs?

Lindsay Cates: We've been in the studio, working on a possible EP. We've got like five or six songs that we're working on, so we've kind of been deconstructing things a little bit, changing up the sound a little bit. And this Saturday, we're going to be performing an acoustic set, so the instrumentation will be different. We'll have upright bass, an acoustic guitar, and possibly keys.

You mentioned changing up the sound a little bit. Can you talk a little more about that?

I think every time you go into the studio, it forces you to look at the songs differently and, like I was saying, deconstruct [them]. We tend to go into the studio with an idea, but things always get a little more creative once we're in the middle of it. We tend to get into the thick of it and add a lot more than we had initially planned on -- which is a lot of fun. So our songs are changing a little bit in the studio, which is a positive thing.

And this Saturday is going to be an acoustic set. Does that have anything to do with the new sound of the album, or is it just specific to this show?

It's more for this specific show; mainly because our drummer is out of town [laughs]. But also, the other bands performing are kind of in the same vein. So it's a lot of stripped-down solo and duo performances. So it will all meld well together -- it should be a pretty intimate and quiet evening. All the other bands playing are really good, so I'm excited for it.

Can you talk a little about the other bands on the bill?

I like doing shows like this that are able to incorporate Tucson bands because, for whatever reason, I feel like there is still a disconnect between Phoenix and Tucson. I know it's really hard for Phoenix bands to get shows in Tucson and vice versa. So we're happy to have two of the bands on the bill from Tucson. And they're both really good. I'm a huge fan of both Tracy Shedd and Young Mothers. And Jess Williamson, I've just heard her stuff online and she's awesome. She's a banjo player.

I think the Lost Leaf will be a good room for all those bands visiting from out of town. It's a nice excuse for us to do something on the quieter side, which I personally enjoy. I think when we get more stripped down and quiet, it brings out Yolanda's voice and her guitar-picking, which is a really strong part of the band.

It's the same thing with Nick. When Yolanda and Nick sing together, and you're able to hear everything, it's pretty magical. I like their vocal harmonies a lot, so I'm excited to hear more of that this Saturday.